Best Public Schools in Sidney, ME

Summary:

The city of Sidney, Maine has one standout elementary school, the James H Bean School, which serves students in grades PK-5. This school has consistently ranked among the top 50 elementary schools in Maine over the past 3 years, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. With strong academic performance, low chronic absenteeism, and a favorable student-teacher ratio, the James H Bean School is an exemplary institution in the Regional School Unit 18 district.

The James H Bean School boasts significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, 76.92% of students were proficient in ELA and 72.03% were proficient in Math, far exceeding the district rates of 64.9% and 51.65%, respectively, as well as the state averages of 63.84% and 49.38%. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 23.4% is lower than the state average, indicating strong student engagement.

Despite serving a student population with a relatively high free/reduced lunch rate of 29.63%, the James H Bean School has been able to achieve exceptional academic outcomes. With a student-teacher ratio of 13.2 to 1, the school provides individualized attention and support to its students. Overall, the James H Bean School stands out as a high-performing and well-rounded elementary institution in the Sidney, Maine area.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MEA English Language Arts (2025)	MEA Mathematics (2025)	MEA Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
James H Bean School	Public	PK, KG-5	2896 Middle Road	Sidney	04330	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 547-3395	300	21	14.0	32.3%	289 (96.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	81.2	50^th of 289 public elementary schools	82.7%		78.7	55^th of 288 public elementary schools	80.9%	5	76.9	72.0	32.7	$18,047

Cities Near Sidney

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Augusta	2.7 mi	9	176^th
Hallowell	5.55 mi	1	86^th
Chelsea	6.06 mi	1	99^th
Manchester	6.85 mi	1	34^th
Farmingdale	6.89 mi	1	59^th

See the top ME Maine cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maine Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.